106 | DestinMagazine.com
Children in Crisis, Inc.
T
here is nothing more pure in life
than a child. In 2002, a critical
need in the four-county area of
Northwest Florida was identified.
Over 1,400 children were entering the foster
care system each year with only 250 licensed
foster homes. Sharilyn Darnell led a group of
community supporters in pursuit of solving
this dire issue. Due to this severe shortage of
homes, brother and sister sibling families were
being separated, and very often children were
being moved from home to home. When many
looked the other way, these individuals rose
to the challenge to make a real difference in
the world and to change these children’s lives.
Children in Crisis, (CIC), was incorporated
in 2003 as a local non-profit, 501(c)(3) charity
to raise and manage funding to build, staff
and operate a residential style neighborhood
of foster homes. Their slogan is “Providing
Homes…Keeping Brothers and Sisters
Together” and that just what they do.
CIC kicked off a capital campaign in January
2005 and Ken Hair joined as the Executive
Director/President and CEO later that year.
The formation of CIC was truly a labor of love
with assistance coming from many different
avenues. Northwest Florida State College gave
CIC a charity lease on a 20-acre site in Fort
Walton Beach. This plot of land would soon
become the site of the CIC Neighborhood,
with construction beginning in 2006. In 2008
the Susanna Wesley Emergency Shelter and
Blessings family foster homes were opened,
providing homes to so many deserving
children. The streets of the neighborhood are
paved with generosity and joy; the homes are
filled with caring and love. Along the way,
CIC added the Aunt “Bill” Spence playground
and the Charles Davis Rigdon pavilion to
the community. In the following years CIC
opened more family foster homes including
the Destin Charity Wine Auction Foundation,
(DCWAF)/Sue, Sue’s Cottage, the DCWAF/
Ya-Ya’s Home, the DCWAF/Travis Tringas
Memorial Home, the Ty Autry Pennington
Memorial Home, the DCWAF Opportunity
Teen Home, Tommy Sandefur Kids’ Club
Recreation Center and the Dugas Family
Foundation Neighborhood Center.
Over the years CIC has grown into a life
changing organization in the Northwest
Florida community. Ken Hair describes,
“The biggest moment that has stood out in
the last year is definitely that we reached the
significant milestone of giving a loving home
to over 650 children since opening the first
home in 2008. However, I must mention a
couple of other big moments, too. We opened
the Ty Autry Pennington memorial home
in September and the Destin Charity Wine
Auction Foundation continued their wonderful
support to our children living at the CIC
Neighborhood by reaching the $1,880,000
mark – truly amazing!” CIC is extremely
involved within the community, always
reaching out a helping hand to others and
supporting fellow local charities as well. The
members of CIC make it their mission to keep
their organization and the importance of giving
a home to a child very visible throughout
Northwest Florida. Every single child deserves
a safe, loving home and CIC is bringing this
awareness into the community. “Phase II of
the Neighborhood construction is underway
but as we build more homes, we’ll continue to
need more funding to feed, clothe and care for
the increased number of children and sustain
neighborhood operations. This is the most
giving community anywhere and I know our
important work will be supported so that we
can give a home to more children in need,”
said Hair. As CIC thrives, they will continue
to make a significant difference in the lives of
hundreds of children far into the future.
For additional information, visit
www.childrenincrisisfl .org.
story by
Courtney Murray
|
photos provided by
provided by Children in Crisis, Inc.
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